A tree falls down due to the impact of typhoon Doksuri in Xiamen, East China's Fujian Province on July 28, 2023. Photo: VCG

Typhoon Doksuri made landfall in coastal areas of Jinjiang in East China's Fujian Province around 10 am on Friday morning, with the maximum wind close to the Doksuri's eye reaching level 15, at the speed of 50 meters per second, and more than 10 provinces will see heavy rains due to the impact of the typhoon.

As of 2 pm on Friday, Doksuri has affected more than 724,600 residents in 84 counties and nine cities in Fujian Province including Xiamen, Zhangzhou and Quanzhou, China Central Television reported.

More than 124,400 people have been relocated, and 262.3 hectares of crops have been affected by the typhoon, leading to direct economic losses of 52.27 million yuan ($7.3 million); and the disaster situation is being further assessed, said the report.

The National Meteorological Center maintained a red alert for typhoon, the highest level, at 10 am on Friday, and the meteorological administration also maintained the Level-I emergency response for typhoon.

The typhoon will move toward the northwest at the speed of 30 kilometers per hour, with weakened intensity, according to a notice released by the China Meteorological Administration at 12 pm on Friday.

Doksuri has become the strongest typhoon landing in China this year, and it was also the second strongest typhoon landing in Fujian since the province has records.

China's Ministry of Water Resources on Friday noon activated a level-III emergency response to flooding and drought in six provincial-level regions including North China's Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei Province. A total of eight working teams have been dispatched to six regions to guide relevant work.

In order to guard against the typhoon, several cities have announced to suspend classes, work, and business activities including Quanzhou, Zhangzhou and Xiamen in Fujian Province. In the coastal areas of Quanzhou, where the typhoon made landfall, the storms have brought down rows of trees on Friday, according to the on-site videos.

The heavy rain accumulated water soon and local working staff were trying to clear leaves to ensure normal drainage, according to the local authorities.

All coastal ports, ferries, tourist attractions and all construction sites were suspended. Large-scale outdoor activities and all kinds of schools, training institutions, summer camps and other classes were called off as well in Quanzhou. Quanzhou authorities called for all residents to stay indoors.

A local resident living in the coastal areas of Jinjiang said the building was shaking when the typhoon made landfall, which lasted for one to two hours, according to media reports.

Parts of Quanzhou cut off water and electricity due to the impact of the typhoon, and about 18,000 households have been affected, cnr.cn reported on Friday.

The typhoon also damaged the ceiling of Quanzhou strait sports center stadium, according to media reports.

Many large trees, road sign fence collapsed due to the impact of the typhoon in Kinmen, leading the electricity cut off affecting more than 2,000 households, according to media reports.

A local resident in Xiamen of Fujian Province told the Global Times on Friday that the city is fully prepared for the typhoon including suspending business and classes. He also said he had purchased water and food in case water and electricity will be cut off due to the typhoon.

More than 3,000 soldiers from the People's Liberation Army (PLA), with over 300 vehicles, have been mobilized to support the relief efforts against Typhoon Doksuri.

Donghai Rescue Bureau of the Ministry of Transport on Thursday launched the Level-I response. The Global Times confirmed that the bureau has deployed eight high-powered rescue vessels and five rescue helicopters to Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong provinces to make preparations for emergencies to protect the lives and property of the residents.

Global Times